Single most effective change you made to lose weight?

[SunshineChatter]

Hi there,

Just in search of real-life ideas on how to shed a few pounds. I'm a size ten, hourglass, but I'd like to lose some weight. I've done the working out (I went five times a week and did a combo of aerobic classes and weight lifting with a PT) and didn't see much difference. I have tried dieting, same result.

I lost a ton of weight a couple of years ago (I'm 48 now) but I think that was stress as I had started thinking about leaving my husband.

I have fasted for a week long, twice, but again due to stress, and still the needle didn't move. I don't eat junk food and, as I don't cook, I tend to have a HUGE salad (leaves, one tin of tuna, balsamic vinegar, horseradish sauce) at lunch or dinner and then I graze on fruit. Lots of it.

So I'm not really sure what to try next. Any ideas? TIA.

16:8 for me too. Weight loss has been slow and steady, but all the more sustainable for it.
Meal planning and making sure that I’m planning healthy, reasonably low calorie meals.
Not buying lunch out - thanks lockdown and lack of access to Pret and the work canteen!
Walking for at least an hour per day.

I decided to eat less and move more.

A controversial method on MN I know, but it worked for me.

Usually, it will be diet/what you’re eating that makes the most difference. So that coupled with16:8, and heavy weight lifting, I saw a difference after three months. I also swam 3-4 days a week. I found aerobic exercise raised my cortisol levels which resulted in no weight loss. Once I ditched that, weight started to fall off. However, the main boost came when I went on HRT.

Given your age, it might be worth looking at your hormone levels in addition to diet and exercise. You can be eating right and exercising, but unless your hormones are aligned, weight will not shift.

Lost a stone a couple of months ago (let’s ignore that I’ve put half of it back on). Two changes that made the diffeeende were eating smaller portions and choosing less calorific snacks.

How much water do you drink? I am borderline overweight according to bmi, (which I know doesn’t take into account the weight of my GG boobs), so not much to lose. But it’s finally starting to go, now I’m making an effort to drink 3 to 4 litres of water a day.
I eat well, exercise regularly, follow 16:8, limit dessert and alcohol. But it’s the water that is making a difference.

Sounds like you're messing up your metabolism. Eat little and often, change your whole attitude to food. It's there for nourishment.
Although, if you're a size 10 hourglass, it's not like you're obese. Life is too short, enjoy the cake, everything in moderation.

The body needs sugar for energy. Berries are reasonably low and provide a lot of vitamins and taste great.

I've been vegetarian for 30 years and I'm 5'9" 63 kilos. I eat well and exercise a lot (vinyassa yoga 5 times a week and cycle regularly). I rarely drink alcohol or snack between meals.

The elf (eat less food) diet. I don't eat until I am full, and try to only eat, unless going out on holidays etc between 12 and 7pm. I rarely drink and walk my dog every day.

Starvation mode is a load of bollocks. If it existed you wouldn’t have skeletal and dying people during famine.

Simple answer is if you’re not losing weight you’re eating/drinking more calories than your TDEE.

Being honest with myself 👍

You sound healthy op. Any slimmer would probably need to be a bit crazy...

@ZaraW

The body needs sugar for energy. Berries are reasonably low and provide a lot of vitamins and taste great.

I've been vegetarian for 30 years and I'm 5'9" 63 kilos. I eat well and exercise a lot (vinyassa yoga 5 times a week and cycle regularly). I rarely drink alcohol or snack between meals.

Well I don’t eat sugar and have far more energy than I used to! I also sleep and concentrate better.

I eat well, exercise regularly, follow 16:8, limit dessert and alcohol. But it’s the water that is making a difference.

Why do you think it’s the water? All the other things can make you lose weight.

Started running and stopped drinking. 🤷🏻‍♀️😄

I can't imagine not eating sugar. I love fruits and cake occasionally....

I've never been on a diet in my life I just eat well and exercise.

Strict calorie counting no cheating.

Thank you so much for all the input. Here are my answers to your questions/suggestions:

• I don't drink much. I drink when I see friends but even then I am usually driving so it's one or two drinks tops. I can of course have a bottle of champagne to myself when there's a group of us but that is unusual and probably happens two or three times a year

• I don't drink fruit juice BUT I drink up to two litres of caffeine-free Diet coke a day. In addition to water and liquorice tea

• Fruit-wise I mostly eat pink ladies apples and grapes. Lateley I've been snaking on microwaved corn on the cob. A couple of cobs a week. No salt, no butter.

• When I fasted I ate absolutely nothing for a week. I drank water. I was going through some relationship stuff and that's what made me skip meals the first day. After that I just wasn't hungry. After a week I decided I had to start eating again because not eating for too long couldn't be healthy

• the working out lasted until the lockdown. Classes five nights a week (two or three classes in a row) and weights with my PT three times a week. I was measuring myself and saw some changes but not much. However I did lift much more towards the end (42kg doing chest presses with dumb bells - for me that was a lot)

• My PT also put me on a protein diet. Just protein, and some fat-free dairy for five days, then one day like that and one day adding a few vegetables. I was supposed to go into ketosis but didn't. I was then told some people don't find it easy (I wasn't straying - not one bit. When I commit to something I stick to it 100%). So then I went to intermittent fasting - only eating between 12 noon and 6pm. Still no ketosis. Then Covid happened...

• Thank you for the suggestion to join the 'BSD support thread in the Fast/5:2 chat in weight loss' - how do I find that please?

• I don't track food because I don't eat loads so I know what I eat. But maybe it's the grapes?

• I'm not really a biscuit/chocolate person. My downfall is black liquorice. But I don't often have that. I do my food shopping online as I hate going to the supermarket so I don't often have junk food in the house to start with. My OH and friends laugh that my fridge is full of carrots (for the dogs) and condiments rather than proper food. When my OH comes over I have to pop to the shops to buy proper food (chicken, eggs, milk, etc).

• Good idea re snacking on carrots and peppers. I used to do that but then 'forgot'. Because I shop online I don't physically see stuff so I just buy what I remember to buy.

I will try recording food. Maybe something will come up. I will also try swapping grapes for veggies. But I'm so tired of trying and failing. Even my PT in the end was focussing on the physical benefits of working out rather than aiming for visible changes!

@StellaRockafella how did you find out that 'aerobic exercise raised my cortisol levels which resulted in no weight loss?'

Cokes really bad for bones and your about to hit menopause. I’d cut that and the grapes out.

I feel slightly worried about your physical and mental health if you have twice in the past literally eaten nothing for a week OP. It seems quite extreme.

So basically you’re eating salad and apples every day? OP there’s so much in your update that sounds like disordered eating

I can’t imagine not eating for a week

Do you have a healthy bmi?

[quote SunshineChatter]@StellaRockafella how did you find out that 'aerobic exercise raised my cortisol levels which resulted in no weight loss?'[/quote]
It was a suspicion, and something backed up by the menopause specialist I saw and my bloods. Once I ditched cardio, my cortisol levels came back down, and weight came off. Cardio was effectively stressing my body out. My PT advised low impact exercise along with heavy weight lifting, so I walked more and averaged 20,000 steps per day, and swam 2500m 3-4 times a week.

You need to remember you’re in your late 40s, and many of the usual weight loss tricks probably won’t work for you. Heavy weight lifting is the most effective way to lose weight.

Also, ditch the dairy. for some, dairy, lactose in particular can inhibit weight loss.

I have an underactive thyroid and find it very hard to lose weight. I found Slimming World helped a bit but during lockdown I have been doing yoga every day (30 mins) and switched to a gluten free, meat free, almost dairy free, sugar free diet (allowed honey and sukrin and jaggery). It is working, still slowing but for the first time in years I can see a definite change. It is reducing overall inflammation too which helps.

Also, you need to eat fat. If your PT wants you to get into ketosis, you need fat as that is what your body will burn for fuel. No fat means no ketosis. I am surprised your PT does not know this.

You need to eat protein, leafy greens and healthy fats. Ditch the dairy and anything fat-free. Start tracking food until you know what choices to make.